brought home the bacon
Supported the family
Brought home the bacon means earned money or achieved success, especially for one's family.
The phrase frames someone as the provider who returns with what the household needs: She brought home the bacon while he raised the kids.
It can also mean simply succeeding at a task: The team brought home the bacon with a last-minute goal.
- hard workSustained strenuous effort
- daily grindWearisome regular routine
- nose to the grindstoneDevoted to hard work
- livelihoodMeans of earning income
- breadwinnerPrimary household earner
put food on the table · earn a living · hit the jackpot · make ends meet · earnings · income · pay off · diligence · work ethic · sustenance · nourishment · rise to the occasion · bear fruit · come through · financial stability · pull through · commitment · prosperity
brought home the baconmooched
Obtained through begging
freeloaded · mooching · freeloading · leeched · sponging
brought home the bacondropped the ball
Failed at crucial moment
struck out · failed · fell short · blew it · choked
brought, homing, homeless, homely, homeland, homeward, bacon, bacons